Psalm 34-36
Contemporary English Version
(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)
Honor the Lord
1 (A) I will always praise the Lord.
2 With all my heart,
I will praise the Lord.
Let all who are helpless,
listen and be glad.
3 Honor the Lord with me!
Celebrate his great name.
4 I asked the Lord for help,
and he saved me
from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the Lord!
You will shine like the sun
and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed,
and the Lord saved me
from all my troubles.
7 If you honor the Lord,
his angel will protect you.
8 (B) Discover for yourself
that the Lord is kind.
Come to him for protection,
and you will be glad.
9 Honor the Lord!
You are his special people.
No one who honors the Lord
will ever be in need.
10 Young lions[a] may go hungry
or even starve,
but if you trust the Lord,
you will never miss out
on anything good.
11 Come, my children, listen
as I teach you
to respect the Lord.
12 (C) Do you want to live
and enjoy a long life?
13 Then don't say cruel things
and don't tell lies.
14 Do good instead of evil
and try to live at peace.
15 If you obey the Lord,
he will watch over you
and answer your prayers.
16 But God despises evil people,
and he will wipe them all
from the earth,
till they are forgotten.
17 When his people pray for help,
he listens and rescues them
from their troubles.
18 The Lord is there to rescue
all
who are discouraged
and have given up hope.
19 The Lord's people
may suffer a lot,
but he will always
bring them safely through.
20 (D) Not one of their bones
will ever be broken.
21 Wicked people are killed
by their own evil deeds,
and if you hate God's people
you will be punished.
22 The Lord saves the lives
of his servants.
Run to him for protection,
and you won't be punished.
(A psalm by David.)
A Prayer for Protection from Enemies
1 Fight my enemies, Lord!
Attack my attackers!
2 Shield me and help me.
3 Aim your spear at everyone
who hunts me down,
but promise to save me.
4 Let all who want to kill me
be disgraced
and put to shame.
Chase away and confuse
all who plan to harm me.
5 Send your angel after them
and let them be like straw
in the wind.
6 Make them run in the dark
on a slippery road,
as your angel chases them.
7 I did them no harm,
but they hid a net
to trap me,
and they dug a deep pit
to catch and kill me.
8 (E) Surprise them with disaster!
Trap them in their own nets
and let them fall and rot
in the pits they have dug.
9 I will celebrate and be joyful
because you, Lord,
have saved me.
10 Every bone in my body
will shout:
“No one is like the Lord!”
You protect the helpless
from those in power;
you save the poor and needy
from those who hurt them.
11 Liars accuse me of crimes
I know nothing about.
12 They repay evil for good,
and I feel all alone.
13 When they were sick,
I wore sackcloth[b]
and went without food.[c]
I truly prayed for them,[d]
14 as I would for a friend
or a relative.
I was in sorrow and mourned,
as I would for my mother.
15 I have stumbled,
and worthless liars
I don't even know
surround me and sneer.
16 Worthless people make fun[e]
and never stop laughing.
17 But all you do is watch!
When will you do something?
Save me from the attack
of those vicious lions.
18 And when your people meet,
I will praise you
and thank you, Lord,
in front of them all.
19 (F) Don't let my brutal enemies
be glad because of me.
They hate me for no reason.
Don't let them wink
behind my back.
20 They say hurtful things,
and they lie to people
who want to live in peace.
21 They are quick to accuse me.
They say, “You did it!
We saw you ourselves.”
22 You see everything, Lord!
Please don't keep silent
or stay so far away.
23 Fight to defend me, Lord God,
24 and prove that I am right
by your standards.
Don't let them laugh at me
25 or say to each other,
“Now we've got what we want!
We'll gobble him up!”
26 Disappoint and confuse
all who are glad
to see me in trouble;
disgrace and embarrass
my proud enemies who say to me,
“You are nothing!”
27 Let all who want me to win
be happy and joyful.
From now on let them say,
“The Lord is wonderful!
God is glad when all goes well
for his servant.”
28 Then I will shout all day,
“Praise the Lord God!
He did what was right.”
(For the music leader by David, the Lord's servant.)
Human Sin and God's Goodness
1 (G) Sinners don't respect God;
sin is all they think about.
2 They like themselves too much
to hate their own sins
or even to see them.
3 They tell deceitful lies,
and they don't have the sense
to live right.
4 Those people stay awake,
thinking up mischief,
and they follow the wrong road,
refusing to turn from sin.
5 Your love is faithful, Lord,
and even the clouds in the sky
can depend on you.
6 Your decisions are always fair.
They are firm like mountains,
deep like the sea,
and all people and animals
are under your care.
7 Your love is a treasure,
and everyone finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
8 You give your guests a feast
in your house,
and you serve a tasty drink
that flows like a river.
9 The life-giving fountain
belongs to you,
and your light gives light
to each of us.
10 Our Lord, keep showing love
to everyone who knows you,
and use your power to save all
whose thoughts please you.
11 Don't let those proud
and merciless people
kick me around
or chase me away.
12 Look at those wicked people!
They are knocked down,
never to get up again.
Footnotes
- 34.10 Young lions: In the Psalms wild animals often stand for God's enemies.
- 35.13 sackcloth: See the note at 30.11.
- 35.13 went without food: People sometimes went without food (called “fasting”) to show sorrow.
- 35.13 I … them: Or “My prayer wasn't answered, but I prayed.”
- 35.16 Worthless … fun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Psalm 34-36
New International Version
Psalm 34[a][b]
Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1 I will extol the Lord at all times;(B)
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory(C) in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(D)
3 Glorify the Lord(E) with me;
let us exalt(F) his name together.
4 I sought the Lord,(G) and he answered me;
he delivered(H) me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;(I)
their faces are never covered with shame.(J)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.(K)
7 The angel of the Lord(L) encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers(M) them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;(N)
blessed is the one who takes refuge(O) in him.
9 Fear the Lord,(P) you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(R)
11 Come, my children, listen(S) to me;
I will teach you(T) the fear of the Lord.(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life(V)
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(W) from evil
and your lips from telling lies.(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(Y)
seek peace(Z) and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord(AA) are on the righteous,(AB)
and his ears are attentive(AC) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(AD) those who do evil,(AE)
to blot out their name(AF) from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(AG) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(AH) to the brokenhearted(AI)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(AJ)
but the Lord delivers him from them all;(AK)
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.(AL)
21 Evil will slay the wicked;(AM)
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(AN) his servants;
no one who takes refuge(AO) in him will be condemned.
Psalm 35
Of David.
1 Contend,(AP) Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight(AQ) against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield(AR) and armor;
arise(AS) and come to my aid.(AT)
3 Brandish spear(AU) and javelin[c](AV)
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.(AW)”
4 May those who seek my life(AX)
be disgraced(AY) and put to shame;(AZ)
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back(BA) in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff(BB) before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord(BC) driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net(BD) for me without cause(BE)
and without cause dug a pit(BF) for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—(BG)
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit,(BH) to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice(BI) in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.(BJ)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you,(BK) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(BL) for them,
the poor and needy(BM) from those who rob them.”
11 Ruthless witnesses(BN) come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(BO)
and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(BP)
and humbled myself with fasting.(BQ)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14 I went about mourning(BR)
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(BS)
assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
They slandered(BT) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[d](BU)
they gnashed their teeth(BV) at me.
17 How long,(BW) Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my precious life(BX) from these lions.(BY)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(BZ)
among the throngs(CA) I will praise you.(CB)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies(CC) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(CD)
maliciously wink the eye.(CE)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations(CF)
against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(CG) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(CH)
With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 Lord, you have seen(CI) this; do not be silent.
Do not be far(CJ) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(CK) and rise(CL) to my defense!
Contend(CM) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
do not let them gloat(CN) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(CO) just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(CP)
26 May all who gloat(CQ) over my distress(CR)
be put to shame(CS) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(CT)
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(CU)
shout for joy(CV) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights(CW) in the well-being of his servant.”(CX)
Psalm 36[e]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[f](DA)
There is no fear(DB) of God
before their eyes.(DC)
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.(DD)
3 The words of their mouths(DE) are wicked and deceitful;(DF)
they fail to act wisely(DG) or do good.(DH)
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;(DI)
they commit themselves to a sinful course(DJ)
and do not reject what is wrong.(DK)
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness(DL) to the skies.(DM)
6 Your righteousness(DN) is like the highest mountains,(DO)
your justice like the great deep.(DP)
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(DQ)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(DR)
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(DS)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;(DT)
you give them drink from your river(DU) of delights.(DV)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;(DW)
in your light(DX) we see light.
Footnotes
- Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
- Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
- Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
- Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
- Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
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